Fitness Plan..?

[Sophie..*]

Right i was thinking i need to get dougie alot fitter for the summer so this is what we do on a regular week:
Monday- Normally a hack about 1/2 normally just trotting and cantering but this includes lots of walk.
Tuesday- Flat work again about 45mins alot of work on circles and normally trying to practice trotting poles or dressage tests.
Wednesday-A hack sometimes might go in the corss-country and pop over a little log and go for a gallop.
Thursday-A hack, might go round the village so mostly walking, but we go out for around 2 hours lots of hills.
Friday-Probley school again might set up a little jump, just have a mess around really.
Saturday- Normally this is my day wen i go in the jumps for around an hour but i do make sure it gets lots of breaks.
Sunday is normally competion day :)

So what should i chnge to get his fitness really good..?

[go max!]

I think he needs a day off, to let him recover and get his energy back, otherwise he might be more at risk of injury, or going stale.

As an alternative, you could do some groundwork, longreining preferably as lunging is really boring:D at least it is for me!

Also it depends what you want to get him fit for - a dressage horse for example would need a different kind of fitness to an endurance horse.

[HorseManiac]

I would do something like this

Monday - Schooling
Tuesday - Hacking
Wednesday- Schooling
Thursday - DAY OFF.
Friday - Jumping
Saturday - Schooling
Sunday - Competition or a hack.

Pretty easy, just vary the things he does, keep sessions short, but up the intensity (is that the word) a little bit every week. If he is stopping etc, you must note that something isnt right, so lower the jumps and do something on a positive note.
:)

[Sophie..*]

Yer jsut to add lol we havnt jumped for the past 4 weeks due to illness (on dougies behalf!) Yep we are starting lunging as soon as somebody on the yard helps me. Ok thanks guys :)

[HorseManiac]

So i would replace the lunging day with a hack.

Whats happened to him?

[Sophie..*]

Where do i start!
About a month ago he had his shoes done and went lame for about 1 week. Then as soon as i rode him he did his back in so another week off. Then he manged to get a cut on his leg whic resulted in 2 weeks off work, he was on anitbiotics and cream. And wethought something was wrong with him yesterday because he was cantering funny and his back knee was just slighlty warmer than the other. But today he was aboslutly fine, and we had a great jumping session :)